Masquerade
by swirliness
Summary: Set during series 2. There's a masquerade ball at the castle, but somehow Robin's invitation has been... mislaid. I suppose he will just have to find another way to dance with his masked love.


This was _dangerous_.

Marian had no idea how Robin had found out, but find out he had and he was _here_. As furious as she was at him for flaunting himself so perilously in front of the entire nobility of the shire, there was some part of her mind (that she had to keep reminding herself to admonish) wandering to thoughts that involved her and Robin with the entire castle to themselves, with no one to miss them for a good few hours…

She shook her head as if to forcibly remove the thoughts from her mind and took a goblet of wine from a passing maid, taking a larger gulp than she had anticipated and causing herself to choke slightly.

"Lady Marian?" came a concerned voice from behind her.

Marian closed her eyes and inhaled, steeling herself before turning to face Guy of Gisbourne, who even at a party was clad entirely in black leather.

"I am quite well, Sir Guy" she told him, her forced smile not quite masking the tone of impatience in her voice.

Guy had been following her all night, constantly in her peripheral vision like a black shadow. She had managed to evade him long enough to slip out of the hall into a gloomy corridor, to be shortly followed by Robin. Keeping a wary eye on the milling crowd through the large oak doors, she had only had enough time to hiss a few infuriated words at him, dictating his rashness and the stupidity of coming here tonight, before she saw Guy begin to scan the room for her. His advantage of height over the other guests ensured her that her prolonged absence would not go unnoticed and there would be awkward questions to answer later. She had pushed Robin away, stopping before re-entering the hall to glare back over her shoulder at him.

"I will speak with you later"

His cheeky grin did nothing to lighten her mood.

"I'll make sure of it"

That was all a few hours ago now. A few hours spent circulating the hall, which had been lavishly decorated for the occasion, making meaningless small talk with dull nobles. She was, as the sheriff had put it, to be on her best behaviour.

She knew few other people in the hall, only a handful of men from the days of when her father was sheriff. Men who had grown old and had passed the running of their estates onto their heirs, retiring instead to a quiet life away from the court. They smiled fondly when she approached, complimented her on her dress and then inevitably (as it was the only thing they ever had in common) the conversation turned to her father. She told them of his ailing health and they gave the necessary sympathetic smiles and concerned words. She thanked them and promised to send their best regards to Edward, as he was too ill to attend the ball, before turning and losing herself in the crowd once more.

She sighed and leaned back against the wall, feeling the cool stone of the wall seep through the silk of her dress. She was beginning to regret wearing this particular gown. It's low cut neckline and clinched waist was attracting many admiring glances from the young male nobility. None of them subtle, all of them unwanted.

Placing her now empty goblet on the table beside her, Marian twirled her mask in her hand. It too was silk, and the same shade of green as her dress. It reminded her uncomfortably of her Nightwatchman mask.

With her head bowed in thought, only vaguely aware of the hum of conversation and music filling the hall, Marian didn't notice the figure slipping through the crowd and coming to stop in front of her. She only noticed his presence when he place a hand on the wall behind her, leaning forwards so that his head was inches from hers.

"Good evening, my lady"

She glanced up sharply, a gasp escaping her lips. She would recognise those eyes anywhere, even if they were partially obscured by a flamboyant golden mask.

"Robin! What are you doing in here?!"

She glanced around feverently, though the other nobles seemed oblivious to the outlaw in the alcove, just metres from them.

"It all just looked too much fun." He said, shifting slightly and reaching a hand up to her face, "Besides I have an important question to ask you"

She threw him a contemptuous look and put a hand against his chest to push him away from her. He took the hand she pressed against his chest and raised it to his lips, stepping backwards and stooping to bow, his head raised to show flash her a dangerous smile.

"May I have this dance?"

She stared down at him. What was he thinking? It was bad enough that he had turned up here tonight at all, let alone him actually entering the hall! And now, instead of staying in the shadows where he was far less likely to be spotted, he had sauntered in here in that ridiculous outfit (that he had swiped from some poor drunken noble, no doubt) and asking her to _dance_. She was momentarily stunned by the incredulity of it all.

Robin used her temporary speechlessness to his advantage, taking both hers hands and pulling her towards the handful of couples, dancing in the middle of the slowly thinning crowds. He stopped in the middle of the hall and took her mask from her hands. She watched him as he gently slipped her mask over her head, and then took her hands in his own again.

"What are you _doing_ here Robin?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

He pulled her close to him, dropping one hand to her waist, the other still clasped in hers. He could have sworn he heard her let out a little sigh.

He dropped his head so that his mouth was next to her ear.

"I missed you. I heard about the ball and knew you would be here, so I decided to drop by"

She grinned in spite of herself. _Drop by_. She would have been willing to bet he had been planning it for weeks.

She looked up at him, concern clouding her voice.

"But what if you're _seen_?"

A soft laugh.

"Well they haven't spotted me yet, have they?"

Marian had to admit he was right. There was still some small niggling part of her that screamed for him to leave now, while he still could. That part of her, however, was drowned out by a much louder voice (fuelled by weeks of solitude, the sheriff's snide comments, Guy's incessant attentions and, more recently, the four goblets of mead) telling her to enjoy what she had, while she could.

Their moments together were few and far between, and for once, this moment was not secreted away in some unpleasant location. Marian was determined to enjoy it.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head against Robin's chest. She could feel his hand on her lower back, his fingers stroking slow circles against the silk. His other hand was wrapped around hers at their side. She opened her eyes a and moved her hand slightly, entwining her fingers with his. She felt him smile above her.

"Robin?" His chest muffled her voice. She felt him press a kiss into her hair.

"Yes my love?"

"What _are _you wearing?"

He laughed.

"Well, I wanted to see you and there were a number of men outside who were most obliging in helping me find a costume, seeing as they were all drunk. Don't you like it?"

She eyed his extravagant gold silk tunic, cape and velvet trousers, all topped off with the matching mask and flamboyant hat.

"You look… interesting" she finished, feeling a smile pull up the corners of her mouth.

Another laugh.

"And you look beautiful" he murmured, leaning down to kiss her, but found his lips meeting her cheek.

"We can't Robin, not in here. They'll see us-"

She felt his arm tighten slightly around her, and her hair flutter as he sighed, but he said nothing more. She was about to replace her head against his silk clad chest, when she glimpsed a dark figure over Robin's shoulder, heading their way. Guy.

He may not have been recognised yet, but Marian didn't want to risk Guy seeing Robin at close quarters, he would be sure to identify him. She thought quickly. Pressing herself against him, she reached up to whisper urgently in Robin's ear.

"Don't turn around. Guy is heading our way. He's been following me all night-"

She broke off as he removed his hand from her waist, keeping one hand entwined with hers. Robin threw a quick glance over his shoulder, locating Guy just before he disappeared behind a throng of drunken guests.

"Come on" he muttered, pulling on Marian's hand.

She didn't have time to reply before she felt the warm night air whip around her face. He had led her outside.

"Robin, what-"

He didn't answer, pulling her instead into one of the darkened alcoves of the hallway. Almost instantly Guy burst through the doors of the hall. He paused for a moment, turning his frantically head left, then right scanning the corridors. Guy frowned, then turned and started to march down the hallway, straight towards them.

Marian gasped silently and pressed herself against the wall, loosing herself in the shadows, Robin's breath warm on her neck. She could hear Guy's footsteps growing steadily louder as he strode down the corridor towards them, each step in perfect rhythm with her own heartbeat. She closed her eyes.

The ominous sound of Guys boots reverberated off the stone walls, reaching a menacing crescendo before suddenly, miraculously he had passed in a rush of black leather.

Neither of them moved until the last echoes of Guy's footfalls had faded away. Marian opened her eyes to see Robin, gazing down at her. Feel him was a more accurate description, as he was pressed as close to her as was humanly possible and his face was mere millimetres from hers. All to ensure his concealment, of course.

She felt his smile against her forehead, felt his laughter. Although she was squashed into a corner, trapped between a stone wall and a ridiculously dressed outlaw, Marian felt utterly content. She leaned her head against the wall and laughed with him.

It was a good few minutes before their laughter died away and they were left, standing in the warm night air, still pressed against each other, breathing heavily.

Robin gently removed his arm from where it was being crushed behind her and brought his hand up to her face. He lifted her mask off her face, letting it rest on the top of her head. She waited for him, her lips parted in expectation that was shortly fulfilled. He kissed her deeply, as if he had been waiting all night to do so (which, Marian thought, he probably had). Her mask fell from her head, unnoticed to the floor.

They broke apart, though remaining in the shadows of the corridor. The sound of drunken guests reached their ears, reminding them that they were still in a very discoverable location. Robin suggested that they righted this wrong quickly, and she followed him, laughing as they went.

_This_ was dangerous.


End file.
